Effect of compaction and fluoride content on the remelting efficiency of pure magnesium chips: Effet du compactage et de la teneur en fluorure sur l’efficacité de refusion des copeaux de magnésium pur

Magnesium is widely used in industries, such as automotive, aerospace, and medical fields. The demand on magnesium has been growing, although the production and melt treatment is complex due to strong oxidation tendency. Recycling of magnesium scraps is crucial due to the criticality of magnesium-containing raw materials in Europe as well as increasing environmental concerns. Remelting of magnesium is typically conducted under a salt flux which absorbs the impurities and protects the melt against oxidation. This study investigates the effect of compaction, fused salt flux, and salt composition on remelting behavior of magnesium chips. Metal yield and coagulation efficiency were calculated after remelting, and samples were characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscope and X-ray Diffraction. The liquidus temperature and density of fluxes were analyzed by FactSage software. Remelting of compacted chips under a fused salt flux with 5 wt.% CaF2 showed the highest magnesium recovery with a yield of 97.7%.